Ben Ellman: Saxophones / Harp
Robert Mercurio: Bass
Stanton Moore: Drums
Jeffrey Raines: Guitars
Richard Vogel: Keyboards
Influences
Boots Riley
Born in Chicago and raised in East Oakland's Funktown neighborhood, Boots became a teenage community organizer, but later switched from a clipboard to the microphone, forming the Coup with rapper E-Roc. Pam the Funkstress, the first female DJ star in the famously competitive Bay Area turntablist scene, later signed on.
Their 1991 self-distributed EP landed them a deal with Wild Pitch Records. Two singles, "Dig It" and "Not Yet Free", cracked BET and national black radio. Their debut, 1993's Kill My Landlord, went on to wide acclaim. The next year, Genocide and Juice shot up the charts, but stalled when EMI absorbed Wild Pitch. E-Roc then left the group.
1998's Steal This Album, released by indie label Dogday Records, was received as a masterpiece and sealed the Coup's rep. But the band's next record, Party Music, scheduled for release shortly after 9/11, became a cultural flashpoint amidst Cheney-Ashcroft hysteria. The album’s original cover (completed three months prior to 9/11) depicted the crew setting off an explosion in the World Trade Center using a guitar tuner and drumsticks. The band's label, 75 Ark, pulled the cover immediately after the attacks.
"As far as the record industry was concerned, it was the end of my career," Boots says. Instead, Boots' defiant refusal to "ride the fence" and the album's undeniable funk made it an underdog favorite. The album hit 8 in the 2001 Pazz and Jop Poll, the most important year-end critic's list.
At the same time, Boots visited South Africa's World Conference Against Racism with the Black August hip-hop tour, where he distributed tens of thousands free cassettes of music in the Oakland community, what he calls "newspapers on tape". He also founded Shoyoass Words, Sounds, & Pictures, a record and media company specializing in music and art that he calls "relevant to social change."
"I always think my next album is gonna be my last," Boots laughs, "like it may not sell and I’ll have to do something else. So it drives me to make an album that people might remember as the best one I did."
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FROM THE CORNER TO THE BLOCK
Galactic's new recording "From The Corner To The Block" is available now. The record features an array of today's most innovative MC's, including The Coup's Boots Riley, Lyrics Born, Digable Planets' Ladybug Mecca, N.O.'s own Juvenile, Jurassic 5's Chali 2na, Mr. Lif and Gift of Gab from Blackalicious. The new album will also feature unique collaborative efforts with New Orleans artists Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Soul Rebels Brass Band and Trombone Shorty. Songs from the album were debuted as part of a special performance at this year's Bonnaroo festival. The record's title track, a collaboration of Galactic with Juvenile and Soul Rebels Brass Band.
TRACK LISTING:
1. What You Need with Lyrics Born
2. ...And I'm Out with Mr. Lif
3. The Corner with Gift of Gab
4. Second and Dryades with Big Chief Monk Boudreaux
5. Think Back with Chali 2na
6. Bounce Baby with Z-Trip
7. Hustle Up with Boots Riley
8. Sidewalk Stepper
9. From the Corner to the Block with Juvenile & Soul Rebels Brass Band
10. Squarebiz with Ladybug Mecca and Nino Moschella
11. Tuff Love with Trombone Shorty
12. No Way with Lateef the Truth Speaker
13. Fanfare
14. Find My Home with Vursatyl and Ohmega Watts
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Oh come on people that performance on Conan was dumb. You couldn't even hear the band over those lame-ass rappers. You guys are so talented, and I understand trying something new and different, but come on!!! Ditch the lame MC's and get back to jammin'.
who the hell cares what people think about goin with some MCs. that was a kick ass performance with chali 2na on conan last night! i still got that song in my head
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